Switch truck panel



March 19, 1929.

J. GORDON SWITCH TRUCK PANEL Filed July 27, 1925 In ventor JuLLus GordonBY HLS Attorney Patented Mar. 1 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCE.

- JULIUS GORDON, or sco'rm, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR To GENERAL ELECTRIC comm,

A CORPORATION OI NEW YORK.

swncn 'rnuck PANEL.

Application filed July 27, 1825-. Serial No. 46,266.

5 switches include an oil switch for opening an incoming-three-phasecircuit supported and closing a-circuit under load and an isolatingswitch whose contacts are separated when the truck is withdrawn from 1tsenclosing housing. While the circult or cir- 'cuits controlled by theswitch may be rendered dead by opening the oil switch and in addition bypartially Withdrawing the truck panel to open the isolating swltchcontacts, a workman handling the controlled circults or apparatusconnected therewith feels a greater sense of security if he canpersonally lock the truck panel and the oil switch in open circuitposition to prevent by any possibility the circuit being inadvertentlyclosed by another at this point An object of my invention therefore is.theprovision of 1mproved m ns whereby this result may be obtaine T Myinvention will be better understood ried by the truck panel iscompletely "isolated from the incoming and the outgoing lines and theselines are also completely isolated from each other.

Means have been provided heretofore for locking the truck' panel in itsfull-in position as shown by Fig. 3, which means comprises plates 11secured at each side of the housing and having the stops 12 providedwith the inclined faces 13. I have rovided an additional locking meansfort e truck panel whereby it may be locked in a partially withdrawn ordisengaged position as shown in Fig. 4, in which position the abovedescribed isolating contacts are separated.

This means comprises the stops 14 on the plates 11' and the gravityactuated pawls 15 pivoted to the plates 11 at 16 intermediate the stops12 and 14. The cross rod 17 is attached by links 18 toangle irons 19forming a part of the truck-panel 2 and are maintained in the elevatedposition illustrated by Fig. 1 by means of the springs 20 which enfromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, and its scope will be pointed out in the appended claims. I I

Referring to the drawing, Fig. 1 is a' perspective view of the lockingmechanism of a truck type switch panel lllustratlng my invention; Fig. 2is similar to Fig. 1 showing a portion of the mechanism only and withthe panel partially withdrawn; and Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations ofthe housing and truck panel with the panel respectively pushed in andpartlally wlthdrawn from the housing.

The housing 1 which encloses the truck panel 2 has the three busses A, Band C of at the rear b suitable insulators 3 arranged vertically. ocketconnectors 4 carried by the insulators and in electrical connection withthe respective busses are adapted to receive the plug connectors 5 ofthe truck panel. Arranged horizontally and below the socket connectors 4are three similar socket connectors 6 carried by insulators 7 andadapted to receive plug connectors 8 of the truck panel. Each socketconnector 6 has connected therewith a cable terminal 9 to which anoutgoing cable 10 is secured. The above described contacts constituteisolating switches by which the apparatus carcircle the guide rods 21and bear against blocks 22 pivoted to the links 18. The handle 24 ispivoted to brackets 25 on the inner side of the truck panel and to thesebrackets also are pivoted the links 26 which are notched to receive therod 17 and which are actuated by the handle 24. Arms 27 operativelyconnected with a circuit breaker (not shown) carried by the truck panelhave Slotted ends in which moves a pin 28 secured to the links 26. Whenthe links are down the breaker is open. In movin the breaker to closedposition, the arms 2 may move upward by reason of the pin and slotconnection at their upper ends.

With the truck panel and the locking mechanism in the position shown inFigs. 1 and 3 the panel can not be withdrawn, being locked inthe housingby reason of the ends of the locking bar engaging the stops 12. Toremove the truck panel completely the handle '24 is pushed upwardly,throwing the cross rod 17 down a sufficient amount to clear the stops 12as the truck is slightly withdrawn. The handle being then released, therod passes over the top of stops 14. This unlocking movement of thecross rod 17 is possible only under the condition that the circuitbreaker is already open, as otherwise the arms 27 will be raised andwill prevent downward movement of the rod 17.

When work is to be done on the outgoing lines 10 or on apparatusconnected there with and it is deemed to take every possible precautionagainst the accidental energlzation of the circuit concerned, anattendant or the workman himself may partially withdraw the truck panelby first throwing the handle 24 to its upper position and looking itthere by inserting a pin or the how of the padlock 30 in alinmg holes inthe handle and an arm 31 on the truck panel. In its lowered position thecross arm will rock the awls 15 as it passes 'by and be arreste d byengagement with the sto s 14, the pawl being reset by gravity. he truckpanel is now locked against movement in either direction, furtherwithdrawal being prevented by the stops 14 and return movement beingprevented by the pawls 15. In this position the contacts at the rear ofthe panel are all disconnected; Until the pin 'or padlock is removed thetruck panel can not be pushed-in to cause the contacts to en gage, norcan it be removed to permit the insertion of another truck. Theprojecting truck panel, moreover, indicates that work is being done onthe circuit controlled thereby. To completely remove the truck panel,the handle is first thrown up and then down, causing the cross rod tosuccessively clear stops 12 and 14 as the panel is withdrawn. When thetruck panel is pushed into the housing no operatlon of the handle isnecessary as the cross rod will be automatically depressed by riding onthe inclined faces 13 of stops 12.

While I have described only one embodiment of my invention, I do notwish to be limited to the particular form shown and described as it willbe apparent that modifications therein may be made Without departingfrom the scope of my invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is:

1. An electric switch comprising a housing, a truck panel arranged forrelative movement in'said housing, cooperating contacts carried by thehousing and the truck panel arranged to engage each other when the truckpanel is in its full-in position, and locking means comprisingcooperating members on the housing and truck panel constructed to comeinto locking engagement when the truck panel is withdrawn to apredetermined position at which the contacts are separated forpreventing further withdrawal of the truck panel. or a return thereof toits original position, a

2. In an electric switch of the truck panel type havin coo eratingcontacts on the housing an true panel, the combination with a lockingmember adapted in one position thereof to secure the truck panel in thehousing with the contacts in closed circuit position, of meansadapted tocooperate with said member in another position thereof to secure thetruck drawn position with the contacts separated.

- 3. In an electric switch of the truck panel type having cooperatingcontacts on the housing and the truck panel which are adapted to engagewhen the panel is completely within the housing and which disengage whenthe truck panel is moved to a partially withdrawn position, lockingmembers effective when the truck panel reaches said plosition to preventmovement thereof in eit er direction.

' 4. In an electric switch of the truck panel type having cooperatingcontacts carried by the housing and the truck panel and havingcooperating locking members for securing the truck panel completelywithin the housing and with the contacts in engagement, means forlocking one of said members in a position out of engagement with theother, and means effective upon the outward movement of the truck panelto a position at which said contacts are separated for preventing thereturn movement of the truck panel.

5. In an electric switch of the truck panel type having cooperatingcontacts carried by the housing and the truck panel and a locking crossrod on the truck panel, a stop on the housing, means for locking thecross rod in a position to engage the stop when the truck panel has beenwithdrawn to a position where the contacts are separated and a pawl onthe housing adapted to engage the crossrod to prevent the returnmovement of the truck panel.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 25th day of July1925.

JULIUS GORDON.

panel in a partially with

